The Great Paradox of the Digital Age: Finding Wisdom
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The pursuit of wisdom in the digital world.
![The Great Paradox of the Digital Age: Finding Wisdom
Ron Rosenbaum, in a recent Smithsonian Magazine article, captured the essence of the topic eloquently.
To paraphrase:
“All the great thinkers of all the civilizations past and present are one or two clicks away. The great library of
Alexandria, nexus of all the learning of the ancient world – that burned to the ground – has risen from the ashes
online. And yet - here is the paradox – the wisdom of the ages is in some ways more distant and difficult to find than
ever, buried like lost treasure beneath a fathomless ocean of online ignorance and trivia that makes what is worthy
and timeless more inaccessible than ever.”
“The historically illiterate, internet intellectuals, and hucksters of the purportedly utopian digital future are decapitating
our culture, trading in the ideas of some 3,000 years of civilization for … Buzz Feed.”
Quoting Goethe … “”He who cannot draw on 3,000 years [of learning] is living hand-to-mouth.”
An endless choking mass of “info” spews forth from every digital device; simultaneously presenting unparalleled
opportunity and challenge.
Hordes of the mentally hungry prowl the net, seeking instant gratification.
“Instant experts” pop up everywhere.
In all this swirling mass lie the snippets that separate the informed from the deluded.
As has been the case since time immemorial, the hope and opportunity of each individual lies in sorting through the
“noise”, seeking the pearls, assessing, and thinking.
As always, this is a challenging but worthy enterprise with the reward of rising above the uninformed mass.
As always, knowledge is built upon knowledge and must be taken in steps.
Of course, one man’s wisdom is another man’s folly; which is where our individual discriminating judgement comes
into play. Even the great library of Alexandria probably contained it’s fair share of ancient BuzzFeed.
Don’t let yourself be lulled and mentally dulled by the ever-growing mass of digital noise that increasingly invades our
lives. Despite our best efforts to develop artificial progeny, the human mind is still the most powerful tool we possess.
Use it as your “Alexandria Librarian”. Don’t “live hand-to-mouth”.
Good Hunting,
Alan Walsh
Owner, Huntington Consultancy](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/thegreatparadoxofthedigitalage-findingwisdom-121117201316-phpapp01/85/the-great-paradox-of-the-digital-age-finding-wisdom-1-320.jpg?cb=1353263005)
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The Great Paradox of the Digital Age: Finding Wisdom
- 1. The Great Paradox of the Digital Age: Finding Wisdom Ron Rosenbaum, in a recent Smithsonian Magazine article, captured the essence of the topic eloquently. To paraphrase: “All the great thinkers of all the civilizations past and present are one or two clicks away. The great library of Alexandria, nexus of all the learning of the ancient world – that burned to the ground – has risen from the ashes online. And yet - here is the paradox – the wisdom of the ages is in some ways more distant and difficult to find than ever, buried like lost treasure beneath a fathomless ocean of online ignorance and trivia that makes what is worthy and timeless more inaccessible than ever.” “The historically illiterate, internet intellectuals, and hucksters of the purportedly utopian digital future are decapitating our culture, trading in the ideas of some 3,000 years of civilization for … Buzz Feed.” Quoting Goethe … “”He who cannot draw on 3,000 years [of learning] is living hand-to-mouth.” An endless choking mass of “info” spews forth from every digital device; simultaneously presenting unparalleled opportunity and challenge. Hordes of the mentally hungry prowl the net, seeking instant gratification. “Instant experts” pop up everywhere. In all this swirling mass lie the snippets that separate the informed from the deluded. As has been the case since time immemorial, the hope and opportunity of each individual lies in sorting through the “noise”, seeking the pearls, assessing, and thinking. As always, this is a challenging but worthy enterprise with the reward of rising above the uninformed mass. As always, knowledge is built upon knowledge and must be taken in steps. Of course, one man’s wisdom is another man’s folly; which is where our individual discriminating judgement comes into play. Even the great library of Alexandria probably contained it’s fair share of ancient BuzzFeed. Don’t let yourself be lulled and mentally dulled by the ever-growing mass of digital noise that increasingly invades our lives. Despite our best efforts to develop artificial progeny, the human mind is still the most powerful tool we possess. Use it as your “Alexandria Librarian”. Don’t “live hand-to-mouth”. Good Hunting, Alan Walsh Owner, Huntington Consultancy